Table 1 Study characteristics of randomized studies included in the meta-analysis
Study | Study design | Publication year | Country | Number (hands) | Gender (F/M) | Age (year) | Treatment | Study visits (week postoperative) | Efficacy variables | Complication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agee 1992 | Randomized Ten-center study | 1992 | US | ECTR: 65 OCTR: 82 147 hands in 122 patients | UN | UN | Agee’s one-portal procedure Regional block or general anesthesia | 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 13, 26 | Grip strength, pinch strength, Semmes-Weinstein monofilament sensory mapping, Phalen’s wrist flexion test, Tinel’s test, manual motor testing, time return to work | ECTR: 4/65 (2 partial transection, 2 transient ulnar neurapraxia) OCTR: 4/82 (1 deep motor branch of the ulnar nerve, 1 bowstringing of the digital flexor tendons, 2 wound dehiscence) |
Brown 1993 | Prospective, multicenter, randomized study | 1993 | US | ECTR: 84 OCTR: 85 169 hands in 151 | 31/53 23/62 | 57 55 | Two-portal technique | 3, 6, 12 | Strength, pinch strength, satisfaction, pain | ECTR: 4/84 (1 partial transection, 2 nerve injury, 1 wound hematoma) OCTR: 0/85 |
Sennwald and Benedetti 1995 | Prospective randomized study | 1995 | Switzerland | ECTR: 25 OCTR: 22 | 19/6 18/4 | 48.6 57 | One-portal procedure Regional anesthesia | 4, 8, 12 | Pain, grip, key-pinch strength, and ability to return to work Operative time | ECTR: 1/25 (1 neurapraxia) OCTR: 2/22 (1 RSD, 1 hypotrophic scar) |
Dumontier 1995 | Prospective randomized study | 1995 | France | ECTR:56 OCTR:40 | 49/7 36/4 | 53.4 50.7 | Two-portal technique | 2, 4, 12 | Numbness, pain, return to work, pinch and grip strength | ECTR: 2/56 OCTR:2/40 (2 reflex sympathetic dystrophy for both groups) |
Jacobsen 1996 | Prospective randomized study | 1996 | Sweden | ECTR: 16 OCTR: 16 29 patients | 11/5 12/4 | UN | Two-portal technique | 2, 6, 24 | Return to work, patient satisfaction | ECTR: 3/16 (3 transient numbness) OCTR: 0/16 |
MacDermid 2003 | Prospective randomized study | 2003 | Canada | ECTR: 91 OCTR: 32 | 62/29 22/10 | 45 53 | Two-portal Chow’s procedure | 1, 6, 12 | Symptom severity, pain, pinch, grip strength, satisfaction | ECTR: 0/91 OCTR: 0/32 |
Ferdinand 2002 | Prospective randomized blinded study | 2002 | Scotland | ECTR: 25 OCTR: 25 | 20/5 20/5 | 54.88 | Two-portal | 6, 12, 26, 52 | Return to work, day off ADL score, satisfaction, operative time | ECTR: 1/25 (wound pain) OCTR: 3/25 (2 persisting pain, 1 nerve injury) |
Trumble 2002 | Prospective multicenter randomized study | 2002 | US | ECTR: 97 OCTR: 95 | 48/27 47/25 | 56 56 | One-portal | 2, 4, 8, 12, 26, 52 | Symptom severity score, function score, operative time, satisfaction score, median time return to work, cost | ECTR: 0/97 OCTR: 2/95 (2 reflex sympathetic dystrophy) |
Wong 2003 | Prospective randomized study | 2003 | HK | ECTR: 30 OCTR: 30 | 28/2 28/2 | 47 47 | Two-portal Intravenous regional block | 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48 | Wound and pillar pain, pinch and grip strength, two-point discrimination power, operative time | ECTR: 0/30 OCTR: 0/30 |
Atroshi 2006 | Prospective randomized study | 2006 | Sweden | ECTR: 63 OCTR: 65 | 44/19 52/13 | 44 44 | Two-portal technique | 3, 6, 12, 48 | Pain in scar, median postoperative work absence, severity of symptom, functional score, QOL, hand sensation, operative time | ECTR: 2/63 (2 recurrence of symptoms, 1 for OCTR) OCTR: 1/65 |
Soichi Ejiri 2012 | Prospective randomized controlled study | 2012 | Japan | ECTR: 51 OCTR: 50 | 48/3 43/7 | 59 58 | Okutsu’s one-portal technique Local anesthesia | 4, 12 | Change in subjective symptom, impairment in daily activity, APB-DL, sensation, muscle strength | ECTR: 3/51 (3 exacerbation of symptoms) OCTR: 0/50 |
Larsen 2013 | Prospective Single-blind randomized controlled study | 2013 | Denmark | ECTR: 30 OCTR: 30 | 22/8 48/12 | 54 45 | One-portal technique | 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24 | Pain VAS score, paresthesia, grip strength, range of motion, pillar pain, duration of sick leave | ECTR: 2/302 (neurapraxia) OCTR: 2/60 (2 infection) |
Ho Jung Kang 2013 | Prospective randomized controlled study | 2013 | South Korea | ECTR: 52 OCTR: 52 | 48/4 48/4 | 55 55 | One-portal technique General anesthesia | 12 | BCTQ-S, BCTQ-F, DASH, intraoperative tourniquet time, pain, scar or pillar pain | UN |